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    Entries in shopping (14)

    Tuesday
    Mar082011

    step away from the amazon list

    DateTuesday, March 8, 2011 at 1:00AM

    Welcome to the March Carnival of Natural Parenting: Natural Parenting Top 10 Lists

    This post was written for inclusion in the monthly Carnival of Natural Parenting hosted by Hobo Mama and Code Name: Mama. This month our participants have shared Top 10 lists on a wide variety of aspects of attachment parenting and natural living. Please read to the end to find a list of links to the other carnival participants.

    ***

    When you're pregnant, especially when you're pregnant with your first child, you're the world's most vulnerable consumer. You're a target for retailers, purveyors of all things teensy, pink and blue (and green -- with frogs -- if you're the sort of spoilsport who chooses to deny your baby shower attendees the personal fulfillment that comes with knowing whether to buy the onesie that reads Daddy's Little #1 All-Star Football Champion or the onesie with puffed sleeves and a glittery ADORABLE! applique). You have nearly ten months to daydream about the person you'll be meeting, and you want to make them happy. You want to make them so deliriously happy that you, poor daydreamy pregnant lady, will take "advice" from a website that suggests things you might like to purchase, you know, out of the goodness of its heart. Because Amazon.com? It just wants to help.

     

    7 month pregnant, summertime me

    Preparing for a first baby is kind of like getting ready to welcome an exchange student: you can run all over town looking for Vegemite, hang up Australian flags and learn the most current slang, but odds are the kid will just want to take a nap and hang out with some nice people. I'm the first to admit that I fell prey to the buy-this-now mentality of preparing for parenthood. I wanted my bases covered, and who was I to argue with Pregnancy magazine, or that person's "must have" list, or the people I knew who already had kids? If someone had told me that all my kid really needed was an attentive, loving, present parent, a place to sleep and some diapers, I'd have been skeptical but grateful. Well, if I had it to do over again, here's what I wouldn't buy, and what I would.

    I Would NOT Buy:

    1. A bumbo. There's a reason babies that age can't sit up. Give it... like, a week and a half, oh wait? He's sitting up. Now he's walking. Just let the kid roll around for awhile and be developmentally appropriate!

    2. A bouncer. George hated it. He was not impressed by the "mid-century modern styling" or iPod dock. I wanted to hold my baby, and he wanted to be held. Nature's bounciest bouncer is a walking mama whose milk's just come in. I don't come with an iPod dock, but my rendition of A Bushel and a Peck is not too shabby.

    3. An infant car seat. We didn't -- just went straight for the convertible -- and never wished we had one of what we lovingly call "the buckets." When we went to a restaurant, we held George so he could be a part of the action and nurse if he wanted, while we ate. At the store, he was strapped to mama or papa. No flat head, no giant contraptions to accommodate in small eateries. 

    4. Any baby food making supplies. I got a food mill and special baby-stomach-portion-sized silicone freezer trays that were glorified ice cube trays at four times the price of the ones meant for water. You know what works for mushing up food? Forks. Your fingers. Popping something on the stove to steam or in the microwave to soften doesn't take long, and if my kid is freaking out, Ican'twait hungry, I should've been paying better attention to his cues. 

    5. Toys. You'll get hand-me-downs and gifts, and unless something really speaks to you like George's Waldorf teether doll (hates it) did to me, you don't need to buy it. If you know any older babies, see what they gravitate toward. See if yours takes an interest in anything, and if you can find something similar at a consignment or second hand shop.

    6. Brand new parenting books. With the exception of the Sears' Baby Book, I don't need to own any of the books I've bought. Borrow from the library, or, if you're a bibliophile like I am, check thrift store shelves for deals. 

    7. A separate sleep space (crib, hammock, pack & play). It saves money, and it's nice to sleep with your family. It also makes breastfeeding easier, and the store will still be there if, after the baby's born, he turns out to be one of those have-to-sleep-alone types. 

    8. Shoes. Why did I buy shoes? They were just so cute. Those tiny Adidas still call to me. They call, "we cost $30 and never fit your kid!" 

    9. "Normal" clothes. If I think about my ideal wardrobe, it would consist of things with elastic waist bands, made of the softest knit imaginable. Socks that don't leave marks on my calves. Shirts that don't bunch up at my armpits or pull across my back. Nothing that gives me a muffintop. Nothing uncomfortable, ever. Then, still, people would somehow always think I looked completely precious. Babies have that last bit covered, so don't try to stuff their little bellies into jeans no matter how cute they are or what a great clearance sale Gap is having. 

    10. Fancy cloth diapers. Don't get me wrong, here: I LOVE cloth diapers. Constantly buying things for someone to crap into would be unbearable for me. But, I bought a giant stash of Bumgenius at $16something a pop only to discover after a few months of use that -- for US -- they leak, don't fit that well and get stinky no matter how diligently I strip them or painstakingly I make my own detergent. The prefolds and consignment shop covers, however, that total around $4 per set are reliable workhorses.

    gratuitous newborn cuteness

    Now, onto the positive. DO Buy:

    1. An Ergo. Baby wearing saved my relationship with my son. He wanted to be in my arms at all times, and I was a frustrated, tired mama who could get nothing done between hourly, 30-45 minute-long feedings. George learned to sleep in the Ergo and it was like having a new lease on life. 

    2. A king sized bed. We didn't originally intend to co-sleep, but clingy daytime George didn't turn independent once the clock struck nine PM. We tried to make our double bed work until tax season made a new mattress a possibility. Every night when we all snuggle into bed, it still feels like a luxury.

    3. Our highchair. It's small enough to fit in our little kitchen, is all wood and inoffensive. It was also $60 (take that, Stokke). It converts into a little chair and table, and I love to imagine toddler George sitting there, helping himself. 

    4. Cloth diapers. Just not the fancy ones.

    5. A sling for papa. One he will actually wear. Nathan was able to bond with George by wearing him, and it's still their special, sure-fire nap time spot. 

    6. Dr. Sears' Baby Book. Even though some of my friends were attached parents, I felt awash in unsolicited, unhelpful advice when my baby was pegged as "needy," "fussy" or "high-maintenance." When I found Dr. Sears, and read that it was OKAY to sleep with my baby, GOOD to feed him when he seemed hungry rather than on a schedule, HEALTHY to keep him close by wearing him, it felt nothing short of revolutionary. Dr. and Martha Sears have solved so many of my "problems" just by encouraging me to follow my instincts to provide loving care to my child. 

    7. An iPod or Kindle or something to entertain you. Gazing at your beautiful newborn is great for awhile, but when you're nursing for eight hours a day, you need something to do so you're not frustrated, trying to hurry him up. 

    8. Good quality toiletries: body wash/shampoo, diaper cream and massage oil. Don't skimp on the products that go on your naked baby. 

    9. A few pretty, functional mobiles. I made ours, and the black, white and gray one that hung over George's changing table for the first few months was the first thing he smiled at.

    10. Nice nursing bras that fit you. Get fitted by a professional at Nordstrom or a local lingerie shop (NOT Victoria's Secret). Don't underestimate the difference this can make in your day to day. 

    magical Ergo

    We made a lot of mistakes and continue to buy things we don't need, but I hope these top and bottom ten lists help someone avoid the "Amazon recommends" trap that is so easy to trip right into when your eyes are starry and nine months seems forever away. 

    ***

    Carnival of Natural Parenting -- Hobo Mama and Code Name: MamaVisit Hobo Mama and Code Name: Mama to find out how you can participate in the next Carnival of Natural Parenting!

    Please take time to read the submissions by the other carnival participants:

    Authorstefanie | Comment25 Comments |
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    Sunday
    Mar062011

    thrifty sunday: plastic fantastic

    DateSunday, March 6, 2011 at 1:08PM

    These pieces were not all purchased on the same day (and, to be fair, I bought some things that don't really warrant picturing [another striped shirt, footy jammies for my little sorta-walker]), but all from the same relatively fruitful Goodwill and all within the month. 

    1. Having a kid is such a good excuse to buy ridiculous, gaudy stuff from the 70s. Pink flower mirror? Um, obvious must-have for George. He need only look into the mirror, and magically become a living, breathing Anne Geddes photo. $2.99

     

    The bunting is recycled from a Jill Bliss and Saelee Oh (major love for this lady) calendar -- 2008, maybe? 

    2. Two pair of Hanna Andersson pajama bottoms, size 3T perhaps? $1.99 apiece

    You know how Hanna rolls with that weird sizing, so 3T is just a guess. They'll fit eventually, in all their organic cotton-y, worn-in glory.

    3. Awesome lamp for George's boudoir (what, exactly, does one call a bedroom nobody sleeps in? He gets dressed in there, and he certainly uses it for sulking). $5.99 

    The light comes out of the 'yield' part, which casts a pleasant sort of calm, yellow hue on everything. We had been using a fancy porcelain lamp with gold flowers and a bell shade, but this is more fun and much sturdier as it won't shatter when it inevitably crashes to the floor.

    I can't wait until George will sit through longer parts (not even whole chapters!) of books. That Lewis Carroll tome is going to get some serious action. Until then, it's The Carrot Seed board book over and over and over... and over. I think he appreciates that the kid really sticks it to his doubting family in the end.

     

    Authorstefanie | Comment2 Comments |
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    Sunday
    Feb202011

    thrifty sunday: you are my sunshine

    DateSunday, February 20, 2011 at 3:03PM

    Friday was great: playdate replete with teeny tiny cupcakes and on the way home, a surprise meet-me-for-lunch message from one of our best gals who was breezing through town on her way south. After some rice and beans and a margarita, I stopped into Goodwill to look around, blatantly milking my baby-free afternoon for all it was worth. 

    Three treasures came home with me, totaling $9 and some change. Considering I would've paid a lot more for just one of them, I feel like I scored. 

    1. Little wooly vest for George, for when he's feeling like a cultural anthropologist: 

     

    The middle section of the vest is not symmetrical; this detail eluded me until just now. Anyway, I feel like he needs a graying pony tail and some hornrims to really complete the sensitive adjunct professor look.

    2. Amazing homemade wallhanging that immediately went up in our bedroom:

     

    It's pretty big, like maybe 18 inches by 18 inches, and fits beautifully on the wall that I often wake up facing. I've tried several other pieces of art there, and nothing ever worked. Clearly, the wall was biding its time until I found the perfect piece.

    3. The sweetest ever, can-you-believe-someone-got-rid-of-this crewel work wallhanging:

     

    I have my suspicions that the same person is responsible for both this and the above piece, and if that is indeed the case, I would like to call this woman (assumption, sue me) up and thank her from the bottom of my homemade-loving heart. This one is a little smaller -- maybe 9 inches by 14 inches -- and the lines are sort of wonky, but that only adds to its charm. As with a lot of things that I find at thrift stores, I wonder how someone saw fit to give this away. I imagine it being lovingly worked on after bedtimes by a long-haired lady in high waisted jeans, then hanging in a nursery circa 1978. I figured that it would be expensive, considering its awesomeness/similarity to something one might find at Urban Outfitters, but I turned it over to see the price, which said $3.99! Easily one of my all-time favorite thrift purchases.

    Happy shopping and happy week, you guys!

     

     

    Authorstefanie | Comment3 Comments |
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    Sunday
    Feb062011

    thrifty sunday

    DateSunday, February 6, 2011 at 3:32PM

    I like recurring things. Routines. Being a "regular" somewhere. In that vein, I'd like to introduce you to (trumpets, please!) Thrifty Sunday!

    When I worked at the fabric store that I mentioned in my last post, the Sunday shift was my favorite. Next door was a Thrifty Drug that eventually became something else (I think), but as any good Southern Californian knows, Thrifty's appeal lay in its ice cream counter. We would mosey in at eleven o'clock, get the cash register going, I'd collect a dollar from everyone and go on an ice cream run: cones all around. We each had our regular order. This became known as Thrifty Sunday. We would sit, gossip, talk about our works in progress, pass around whatever we'd just finished and savor our treats. Some loyal customers knew about our ritual, and would visit just to see what any given Sunday's show and tell offered. I miss those ladies like crazy, especially when a stubborn seam is puckering or I can't remember how to make a crochet bauble look just right. So, this regular feature goes out to you: Gertie, Shirley, Dorothy and Leona. 

    Of course, while documenting my ice cream consumption would make for truly riveting reading, I'll spare you. Instead, Thrifty Sundays will consist of me showing off my awesome thrift shop scores, in order for me to justify their purchase. Without further ado:

    1. A BAGGU penguin, $2.99

    George saw this little guy from afar and seemed to fall instantly in love. I let them cuddle for a few minutes before asking George to say goodbye to Mr. Penguin and leave him on the shelf for someone else to take home. Poor George waved so sadly, so persistently at his lost friend that I caved. On further inspection, he had his original price tag ($19.99) still attached and he was first bought at the San Diego Zoo! One of my favorite places on Earth. Their love was obviously meant to be. 

    As an aside: BAGGU bags rule, and I had no idea they had branched out into the toy market. 

    2. Two sewing patterns, $1.99

    I've been dreaming of making George a Huckle Cat outfit, because he kind of looks like Huckle Cat. Um, perf! That little lederhosen number on the far left is a Huckle costume waiting to happen:

    Also, a Cabbage Patch-esque doll pattern, with some basic outfits. I love making dolls, but I always mess them up somehow. Perhaps a pattern will help this?

    3. Odd linen minidress, $5.99

    I'd just like for you to know that I am currently wearing this dress with tights and socks that have kokopelli on them, no lie. My descent into weirdo hippie chicken lady territory continues unabated.

    There you have it. Something magical also happened on this shopping trip: I reunited some stolen comics with their rightful owner, after their thief (who also happens to be a car thief) evidently donated them to Value Village. The mysteries of the Universe! Happy thrifting!

    Authorstefanie | CommentPost a Comment |
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